Balance between work and life: A qualitative study of German contract workers

SummaryIn recent years, the number of contract workers has increased considerably – especially in the IT sector and the media sector. There is some evidence that the specific characteristics of contract working have consequences for the work-life balance of contract workers. However, there is a lack of empirical research on these consequences. This article reduces the existing research gap by presenting findings of an exploratory study of contract workers. These findings show that on the one hand contract working is challenging the individual work-life balance when it comes to long working hours, absences from home due to travel and flexibility requirements regarding time and place of work. On the other hand, for some individuals contract working offers the possibility to work flexibly with regard to time and place and therefore enables a better reconciliation of work and private life. These results suggest that a differentiated evaluation of the consequences of contract working for work-life balance, in which the specifics of the sector, demographic characteristics and working conditions (e.g. flexibility requirements) are considered, is necessary.

► Insights into the ways in which contract workers coordinate their work and private life.
► Constraints result from contract working, e.g. long working hours, absence due to travel and flexibility requirements.
► Work flexibility with regard to time and place enables better work-life balance.
► Work-life boundaries are organised differently in the media sector and IT sector.